It's the end of a good week.
It was the first full week of school, learning teacher's routines, getting out of the door on time, making lunches, etc. All the things that were once second-nature now have a somewhat steep learning curve again. I don't think I expected all the effort required in transitioning back to routine, I guess I thought it would be instantaneous.
I'm reminded in the same way that the growth God brings about in our lives isn't usually fast. It's the slow smoke or marinade that takes time to absorb the flavours. Just like it takes time to learn new routines, forming new habits and godly character occurs over the long haul.
In You're Only Human, Kelly Kapic writes, "God does not normally change our attitudes, free us from our addictions, and reform our actions instantaneously—although sometimes he does it that quickly. Ordinarily, God changes our lives by persistently picking us up when we fall and slowly but consistently drawing us to the love of the Father, the grace of the Son, and the fellowship of the Spirit."
There are many times I wish for an instant victory over sin or an immediate answer to prayer. But the best fruit in the garden is that which has had time to ripen, and I need to trust the Lord is bringing his work in my life to completion and draw near to him as he does.
This Week on the Blog
Check out these updated book reviews with new content!
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This Week in Articles
An encouragement from Glenna that we don't skip meals just because we don't like them, and that goes for passages in the Word also.
"If I am willing to sow generously the seeds he gave me, He promises to give me all the grace and all I need, and the result will be a harvest of righteousness in my life."
Do you want to grow in your bible study skills? Read Jana's article about how to learn the context of the passage you are studying.
What are all the benefits of contemplating a passage of scripture...read here to find out
"You can tell a child that God doesn't get sad like we do. At the same time, you can assure her that God loves us, and that he isn't far away from us in our sadness."
Thank you for featuring my continuing Bible study series, my friend! I've been off my normal publishing routine, so I didn't share any links this week and I greatly appreciate this collection you've curated for us!